Best Things To Do in Valencia, Spain (2022)
If you are lucky enough to find yourself in one of the most beautiful cities in Spain – Valencia, here is a City Guide for you!
Lucky for you, the sunny city has loads of wonderful things you can try out. In this article, we will suggest the top interesting things you can do in Valencia to have the best time in this lovely city.
Usually, visitors to Spain focus on Madrid and Barcelona – congratulations for venturing further afield, and considering exploring vivacious Valencia!
If you’re looking for a luxurious hotels, you might also want to see our Guide to Valencia’s Luxury Hotels.
1. Try the Local Food
When you travel to any new city, you gotta try out some local food to get a feel for the local flavors.
In Valencia, you will find some of the best traditional paella in the whole country. In fact, one of the most popular Spanish dishes comes from Valencia. All the ingredients for the dish are also sourced locally. You can choose to have a wonderful dish with the type of meat or seafood you prefer and be sure you are having the most local and traditional recipe in the whole country.
You can taste some of the best dishes in the wonderful restaurants around Malvarrosa beach. Only make sure you make reservations in advance, as the best places are usually crowded and you won’t want to miss the perfect opportunity to eat at the best places in the city. And don’t forget to taste some of the local beer and delicious Spanish wine with your fine meal.
Personally, I always love to browse the local market (mercado) for fresh fruits and local snacks.
2. Chill on the Beach
The very first thing you most probably already know about Valencia is that the spectacular city is located on the Mediterranean coast. And hence you can expect to find many beautiful and peaceful beaches you can always chill on. If you are looking for long clean beaches with white sand and loads of tasty seafood restaurants around, you can’t go wrong with Valencia.
Check out the glorious golden sands of Malvarrosa beach which is one of the most famous in Valencia. The beach offers you not only wonderful views and soft sands but also loads of attractions and amenities including drinking fountains, well-equipped showers, and easy-to-navigate roads and footpaths. Not to mention all the cute bars and restaurants all around the place. They all offer a great atmosphere and delicious local seafood specialty dishes.
If you’re a beach bum, you might wanna see our guide to Spain’s Best Beaches 🙂
Quiet Beaches
If you are looking for more private and quiet places to chill, you can also visit El Saler beach. This is another spectacular place with not less marvellous views, soft sand, and great restaurants. It is located near the La Albufera Natural Reserve and hence you can feel the great spirit of beautiful nature and piece all around you.
Meanwhile, as you must have already guessed, there are many more beaches in Valencia, which you can easily explore. Simply go ahead and discover the magical places all around the city beaches. You will definitely find some special and even more cozy spots to spend a wonderful and perfect day on the beach.
2. Explore the Local Arts
Valencia is also known as a city of great arts and culture which you need to explore when you visit this beautiful city. There are so many museums and art galleries in the city and all of them are mostly located in the very heart of Valencia. Visit for instance some of the most popular nowadays super-modern galleries which represent the true spirit of the Arts and Sciences of Valencia of today.
The wonderful modern architectural creations were made in mid 90’s giving birth to such wonderful tourist attractions as L’Hemisfèric or the marvellous L’Umbracle where you can see a wonderful botanical collection of species natively from Valencia.
3. The Oceanarium & Other Top Attractions
As with every major touristic city, Valencia has some very special attractions for its visitors. Especially if you are traveling with children, you can always check out the wonderful tourist attractions of the city. The Oceanarium is one of the most spectacular attractions in the city. The gorgeous place is full of wonderful sea creatures and the most different activates. Here you can spend the whole day exploring and having fun.
Anything Else? Of Course!
Another great way to see Valencia is taking a city bike tour and exploring all the beautiful narrow streets, cozy pedestrianized squares, amazing parks, and peaceful seafront promenades. There is no better way to see all the glorious city parks and hidden bohemian streets of Valencia than having the freedom to bike around spectacular places. You can take a break for a lovely picnic under orange trees and palms to make a perfect day out for you and your friends and family.
4. Spectacular Must-Visit Buildings
If you want to spend an interesting day exploring all the main buildings and spectacular architecture of the city, you will definitely have a busy and rich day in Valencia. The city has some wonderful samples of ancient buildings and modern creations and, so make sure you put on your most comfy shoes.
One of the most important places to visit in the city is the gothic Valencia Cathedral which was built back in the 13th and 14th centuries. Here you will see a perfect mixture of influences from renaissance, baroque and neoclassical styles. This makes the place a wonderful spot to check out and learn all about the rich history of the Cathedral.
This classic Gothic style contrasts starkly with the Neo-gothic style of Gaudi’s buildings in Barcelona.
More Great Creations
La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Market) from the 15th century is another wonderful sample of Valencian Gothic architecture which you simply must visit. What used to be one of the main places to exchange silk back in days is now officially a UNESCO site. You can come and see marvellous twisting columns, vaulted ceilings and finest samples of ancient tasteful arts all over the place.
Another must-visit cathedral of the city called El Miguelete is a fantastic place to see when you are in Valencia. Again, a Valencian gothic construction has 207 steps taking the visitors all the way up to 50 meters above the city. From here you can admire some spectacular views and take the best photos of the day!
Go for More…
As you keep exploring the historical center of the city, you will keep discovering wonderful buildings and pieces of architecture all around you. And hence get ready for wonderful emotions and great experiences exploring the rich and fascinating city.
5. Colorful Markets of the City
Of course, what is a Spanish city without its colorful markets? In Valencia, you can find and explore some of the most beautiful and largest street markets in the whole country. The main Central Market building is something special to check out for every tourist. With a perfect mixture of the oldest architecture and incredible selection of souvenirs, spices, fresh seafood and much more, the central market attracts thousands of visitors from all around the world. So, if you feel like shopping or simply exploring all the local colors of the city, you will love this rich market full of flavors and culture.
6. Festivals and City Celebrations
If you are flexible about the time to be in Valencia, you can always check out the list of special celebrations which usually take place in the city. There are plenty of them during different times of the year and some of them you will not want to miss out on.
St. Joseph’s Day
One of such events is St. Joseph’s Day which is on the 19th of March. It’s a colorful and noisy celebration that takes place annually in the city during which you can feel the true traditional patterns of Valencia. In order to celebrate the beloved Saint, the city inhabitants used to have bonfires the night before. With years even more wonderful small traditions, a lot of celebrations, delicious traditional dishes and drinks were added to all of that. So, the lucky tourists of today will have the chance to witness a wonderful traditional mix of colors and celebrations; and this makes the day of the year so special in Valencia.
I recommend trying the Agua de Valencia (essentially vodka and fresh orange juice). Deliciously dangerous!
Also the local drink, Horchata- made from a local plant. But it’s very sweet!
Much More to See…
In addition, there are always loads of other celebrations, festivals and special cultural and sports events in Valencia; and hence before booking your holidays, you can try and check out what is on during the time you wish to visit.
Always Fun to Visit
The more you explore the great activities and traditions of Valencia, the more you may want to visit this wonderful city we bet. In line with many other spectacular cities in Spain, you simply need to include Valencia in the list of must-visit spots in that country. The time spent here is a wonderful way to learn even more about Spanish culture and history. At the same time, you will be able to try out some special activities, delicious food and meet wonderful and friendly people all around you.
If you are traveling with friends, alone or with family, you will always have something special and fun to do in Valencia. There are historical, cultural, fun and interesting activities for everyone with any preferences. Have a great time exploring our wonderful Valencia and make the most of your visit!
I hope you got some ideas of the best things to do in Valencia, Spain. Happy exploring!
For a range of the best hotels in Valencia, see our Guide to the Best Luxury Hotels in Valencia
Or check out Booking.com below:
